A Warrior of the Light makes use of solitude, but is not used by it.
The Warrior of the Light knows that it is impossible to live in a state of complete relaxation.
He has learned from the archer that, in order to shoot his arrow any distance, he must hold the bow taut. He has learned from the stars that only an inner explosion allows them to shine. The Warrior notices that when a horse is about to jump over a fence, it tenses all its muscles.
But he never confuses tension with anxiety.
The Warrior of the Light always manages to balance Rigor and Mercy.
To attain his dream, he needs a strong will and an enormous capacity for acceptance. Although he may have an objective, the path that leads to that objective is not always as he imagined it would be.
That is why the Warrior uses a mixture of discipline and compassion. God never abandons His children, but His purposes are unfathomable, and He builds the road with our own steps.
The Warrior uses that combination of discipline and acceptance to fuel his enthusiasm. Routine was never the leader of any important new movement.
The Warrior of the Light sometimes behaves like water, flowing around the obstacles he encounters.
Occasionally, resistance might mean destruction, and so he adapts to the circumstances. He accepts, without complaint, that the stones in his path hinder his way through the mountains.
Therein lies the strength of water: It cannot be touched by a hammer or ripped to shreds by a knife. The strongest sword in the world cannot scar its surface.
The river adapts itself to whatever route proves possible, but the river never forgets its one objective: the sea. So fragile at its source, it gradually gathers the strength of the other rivers it encounters.
And, after a certain point, its power is absolute.
For the Warrior of the Light, there are no abstractions.
Everything is concrete and everything is meaningful. He does not sit comfortably in his tent, observing what is going on in the world; he accepts each challenge as an opportunity to transform himself.
Some of his companions spend their lives moaning about their lack of choice or passing comment on the decisions made by other people. The Warrior, however, transforms his thinking into action.
Sometimes he chooses the wrong goal and pays the price for his mistake without complaint. At others, he swerves from the path and wastes a great deal of time only to end up back where he started.
But the Warrior never allows himself to be discouraged.
The Warrior of the Light has the qualities of a rock.
When he is on flat terrain, everything around him is in harmony and he remains stable. People can build their houses upon him, and the storm will not destroy them.
When, however, he is placed on a slope, and the things around him show neither balance nor respect, then he reveals his strength; he rolls toward the enemy that is threatening his peace. At such moments, the Warrior is a devastating force, and no one can stop him.
A Warrior of the Light thinks about both war and peace and knows how to act in accordance with the circumstances.
A Warrior of the Light who trusts too much in his intelligence will end up underestimating the power of his opponent.
It is important not to forget that sometimes strength is more effective than strategy.
A bullfight is over quickly because the bull quickly learns that it is being tricked, and its next step is to charge the bullfighter. When that happens, no amount of brilliance, argument, intelligence, or charm can avert tragedy.
That is why the Warrior never underestimates brute force. When it proves too violent, he withdraws from the battlefield until his enemy has exhausted himself.
The Warrior of the Light knows when the enemy is stronger.
If he decides to confront him, he will be destroyed instantly. If he responds to his provocations, he will fall into a trap. So he uses diplomacy to resolve the difficult situation in which he finds himself. When the enemy behaves childishly, he does the same. When he challenges him to a fight, he pretends not to understand.
His friends say: “He’s a coward.”
But the Warrior pays no attention because he knows that all the rage and courage of a little bird are as nothing to a cat.